There is such a wide difference in the Beginning and Advanced combat training missions. That it tends to be a detourent. To make this area of the game better I would suggest that there be 3 Steps Beginning, Intermediate, Advance.

Either that or make the weapons and the ships more compariable to the higher level bots that you must face in the advance.

For once, I agree with a n00b's suggestion. Intermediate Combat Practice is really needed, especially now that the advanced was dropped down to level 3.

It's level 2.
The reason many noobs have trouble with ACP is that they go for the ApuTech-5 Guardians. The ApuTech guardians are a _LOT_ harder to kill than TyCorp Assaults. When I was a noob I was stuck at combat 3 until I found the courage to face an Assault, and then suddenly...
Make ApuTech-5s easier, and make guardians in general give more xp, rather than creating another combat practice mission. What would you do in it, anyway?
(Also, it would be nice if there were some skill-based mega-xp missions, like Assasination[sic] except with a reasonable bonus.)
-:sigma.SB